Buzios: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Armação dos Búzios is a small peninsula with more than twenty beaches, three hours east of Rio. It was a fishing village until 1964, when Brigitte Bardot came here with her Brazilian boyfriend to escape the photographers — and brought the photographers, and the world, after her. Two hours on foot along the water; at its best at sunset.

A short history of Buzios

Búzios was a small fishing village on a peninsula north of Rio de Janeiro until, in 1964, the actress Brigitte Bardot spent time here, and her photographs from here brought the first tourists. Since then the village has become a resort town. In 1995 it separated from Cabo Frio and became an independent municipality. The peninsula has more than 20 beaches.

The ten best sights in Buzios

1
Brigitte Bardot statue
On the Orla Bardot
2
Fishermen statue
Three fishermen hauling a net
3
Praia da Armação
Boats at anchor in town
4
Praia dos Ossos
The beach of the whalers
5
Igreja de Sant’Ana
A chapel on the hill for sunset
6
Praia Azeda
A small cove down steps
7
João Fernandes
Clear water for snorkelling
8
Praia Brava
The open-sea beach
9
Praia do Forno
Reddish sand, by trail
10
Praia da Ferradura
A horseshoe bay, calm

sleepntripWonders of the world12 wonders, and a hotel near each

For every wonder: a nearby city, a route and a hotel up to $80.

To the wonders

What is an audio walk?

Tours in Buzios →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Buzios:

Free walking tours in Buzios

The village Bardot found

Rua das Pedras · The cobbled main street of boutiques, bars and restaurants, quiet by day and packed at night from about ten; in season it stays awake until dawn.
Brigitte Bardot statue · A bronze of Bardot sitting on a suitcase, looking out to sea, on the waterfront promenade named after her — the town’s thanks to the actress whose stays in 1964 put it on the map.
Fishermen statue · Three fishermen in bronze hauling a net out of the sea, a memorial to the trade that was the village’s whole living until the 1960s.
Praia da Armação · The town’s name comes from the armação, the whaling station that stood here in the eighteenth century, where the whales hunted in the bay were cut up and boiled for lamp oil.
Praia dos Ossos · The beach of the bones, named after the whale skeletons the whalers left on its sand; now a calm cove of fishing boats and the starting point of the boat taxis to the other beaches.
Igreja de Sant’Ana · A small white chapel of the eighteenth century on a rock above Praia dos Ossos, where the village gathers at sunset; from its steps both bays are in view.

The peninsula’s beaches

The peninsula has beaches facing every direction, so there is always one out of the wind: calm coves on the bay side, open surf on the ocean side. A day; by buggy, by taxi-boat from Praia dos Ossos, or on foot along short trails.

Praia Azeda · A small cove reached by a path and steps from Ossos, with clear calm water; its smaller twin Azedinha lies just beyond the rocks.
João Fernandes · A cove of calm, clear water over rocks, among the best for snorkelling in Búzios; its tiny neighbour, João Fernandinho, lies just over the rocks.
Praia do Forno · Reached by a short trail over the hill from Praia Brava, a cove of reddish sand and calm water; the name means the oven, and on a still day it earns it.
Praia da Ferradura · A bay shaped like a horseshoe, almost closed to the open sea, so its water is calm and warm; houses climb the hills all around it.
Geribá · A long open beach of surf and beach bars, the favourite of the young crowd; the waves are good for learning, and there are schools on the sand.
Praia da Tartaruga · The turtle beach, named for the green turtles that feed in its calm water; kayaks and paddleboards are rented on the sand.

Cabo Frio and Arraial do Cabo

South-west of Búzios lie the old town of Cabo Frio and Arraial do Cabo, where a rare current brings cold, clear water up from the deep — the best diving on Brazil’s south-east coast. A day by car; the water at Arraial is cold, even in summer.

Manguinhos · On the way out of the peninsula, a beach of steady wind and shallow water where kitesurfers and windsurfers gather from the afternoon.
Tucuns · A long, quiet beach on the ocean side, among the least crowded of the peninsula, with dunes behind it.
Praia Rasa · A long beach of very shallow, calm water on the bay, where one can walk far out — the safest for small children.
Forte São Mateus · A small fort of the early seventeenth century at the mouth of the canal of Cabo Frio, built after the Portuguese drove out the French and English traders who came for the red dye of brazilwood — the tree that gave Brazil its name.
Arraial do Cabo · Off this cape, a seasonal upwelling brings cold, nutrient-rich water from the depths to the surface; the sea is clear and full of life, and the town calls itself the diving capital of Brazil.
Pontal do Atalaia · A long stairway down the cliff leads to the Prainhas, two small coves of white sand and turquoise water that look Caribbean and feel, in the water, almost Antarctic.

sleepntripMystery worldPlaces whose story is not over yet

The moai, the Nazca lines, Göbekli Tepe and more.

To the mystery world

Getting to Buzios and getting around

Bus station · About three hours from Rio

Cheap eats in Buzios

On the beaches of Búzios the counter is the kiosk and the walking vendor: grilled cheese on a stick, queijo coalho, toasted over a little charcoal stove; fried fish and shrimp; açaí in a bowl; and a caipirinha made in front of you. Búzios is pricier than Rio — a portion of fried fish costs about fifteen to thirty dollars.

Praia dos Ossos · Fish from the boats
Geribá · Beach-bar food
Rua das Pedras · Açaí and crepes late

Nature and day trips near Buzios

Coves on two seas, turtles in the bay and the cold clear water of Arraial.

Arraial do Cabo · The diving
Praia do Forno · The trail cove
Tucuns · Dunes and space

Things to do in Buzios with kids

With children: shallow bays, turtles and natural pools.

Praia Rasa · Shallow and calm
Praia da Tartaruga · Turtles and kayaks
Ferradurinha · Rock pools

Nightlife in Buzios

Búzios goes out late: dinner at ten, then Rua das Pedras and the clubs until dawn in season.

Rua das Pedras · Bars and clubs
Brigitte Bardot statue · The promenade at night
Igreja de Sant’Ana · Sunset first

Museums in Buzios

Little history and a lot of statues — and a fort down the coast.

Forte São Mateus · The brazilwood fort
Fishermen statue · The fishing past

sleepntripFree with every roomThree audio walks in every city

A guide in your headphones, stop after stop.

To the walks

Frequently asked questions about Buzios

What is there to see in Buzios?

The top sights in Buzios are Brigitte Bardot statue, Fishermen statue and Praia da Armação. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Buzios?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Buzios without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Buzios?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Buzios, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The village Bardot found.

How do you get to Buzios and get around?

The main ways are Bus station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Buzios, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Buzios that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

Looking for a hotel in Buzios for your dates?

Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.

All hotels in Buzios

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